A.I.A.I. WELCOMES NEW GRAND CHIEF & DEPUTY GRAND CHIEF

Leamington, Ontario May 30th, 2017 – On May 29th delegates from seven nations (Hiawatha, Wahta Mohakws, Mohawks from the bay of Quinte, Oneida, Delaware, Caldwell, and Batchwana) gathered together at Caldwell First Nation in Leamington to hear from five different candidates. Two candidates, Gordon Peters and Chief Randall Phillips were in the running for Deputy Grand Chiefs. Three candidates, Joel Abram, Murray Maracle and Christopher McCormick, were in the running for the Grand Chief position.

This General Assembly, the 48th one, was different in that rather than doing a secret ballot method a new process was going to be used. The new process is called a ‘Standing Selection Process’ to combine modern methods and traditional procedures to elect people for a new position. This process will highlight accountability and transparency as the voting delegates will be required to publicly stand behind those they support. Today the voting process took place in the morning and the new A.I.A.I. Deputy Chief is Gordon Peters and new A.I.A.I. Grand Chief is Joel Abrams.

Their positions become active immediately and they were applauded by all of those gathered. A celebration of First Nation social songs and drumming was performed to welcome them to the organization.

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AIAI is mandated as a Political Territorial Organizations (PTO) to defend and enhance the Indigenous and Treaty rights of our seven member First Nations. Our member nations include: Batchewana First Nation, Caldwell First Nation, Delaware Nation, Hiawatha First Nation, Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Oneida Nation of the Thames, and the Wahta Mohawks. Learn more at www.aiai.on.ca, on twitter @AIAI_comms and on Facebook

For more information and media inquires please contact Ira Timothy, Communications Coordinator for A.I.A.I at (519) 434-2761 or email at Itimothy@aiai.on.ca

IMAGE GALLERY

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